Dr. Gridlock: November 21, 2010 - November 27, 2010

Fluttering hearts. Speechlessness. Joy. Affection. Metro?
Not a connection residents normally make. But romance on the rails is not dead, and the number one station for fleeting feelings is the Continental-sounding Vienna--this according to a piece in the Post's Style section.

Friday is not a holiday, though for the most part, it may look like one on the roads and rails. Parking regulations and HOV lane restrictions are in effect. Metro doesn't have any track work scheduled for this weekend. Here are some highlights of what travelers will contend with over the weekend and beyond.

Temporary lane closures in Virginia were lifted over the holiday weekend by the Virginia Department of Transportation. They were lifted beginning at noon last Wednesday and that runs through noon on Monday, Nov. 29.

By Robert Thomson Metro provides transit service to the D.C. region's three airports, but has no specific plans to boost that service for the Thanksgiving getaway and return. Instead, Metro officials say they will monitor the number of people using...

The Transportation Security Administration provided this listing of wait times and numbers of people who opted-out of using body scans Wednesday. Operational Updates as of 5 p.m. EST: Atlanta: 39 total advanced imaging technology opt-outs today (out of 47,000 fliers)....

5:05 p.m. Update: President Barack Obama and his family have delivered turkeys that didn't receive a presidential pardon to a food pantry for the poor.
After Obama issued the annual presidential reprieves to two turkeys at the White House on Wednesday, the Obama family passed out turkeys, stuffing and other Thanksgiving staples at Martha's Table, which is located between V and W streets on 14th. The first family also worked at the pantry during last year's holiday.

The lone protester Wednesday afternoon at Reagan National was a 27-year-old college student who drew crowds of curious passengers near the airport's Cosi restaurant. Brad Aefsky, wearing a canvas sign that read "Tyrants Sexually Assaulting Americans" on the front and...

3:20 p.m. Update: Volume is also heavy on 270 North with traffic crawling at 20 mph along a broad stretch from Shady Grove Road to Interstate 70, although you may experience some temporary relief on short stretches of the highway....

11:45 a.m. Update: The lanes have reopened and traffic is flowing again. Original post: A vehicle fire on the outer loop has three lanes of traffic blocked on the Beltway just easy of Old Georgetown Road. Traffic gets by to...

Amtrak anticipated its busiest travel day of the year Wednesday with 127,000 people -- 50,000 more than on a typical Wednesday -- expected to travel by Amtrak trains nationwide, a spokesman said.Trains were running without delay at Union Station on...

Transportation Security Administration Chief John Pistole apologized Tuesday to a Michigan man who had urine spilled on his clothing after a pat-down at Detroit Metro Airport. Tha man Thomas Sawyer, 61, is a bladder cancer survivor and had a urostomy bag under his clothing, according to the Detroit Free Press.

8:50 a.m. Update: Dulles International Airport was fairly calm about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. There were no lines at the Continental and United Airlines ticketing areas. A sprinkle of passengers could be seen at the Jet Blue ticketing area. The biggest...

The Maryland Transportation Authority expects 460,000 vehicles to cross the Bay Bridge during the Thanksgiving holiday period, with Wednesday as the busiest day. Here are the times that are expected to be off-peak: -- Wednesday: Before noon and after 7...

Amtrak is rolling out extra trains to meet the expected demand of travelers during the Thanksgiving holiday. The rail agency said it has scheduled extra trains in the Northeast, Midwest and on the West Coast. Amtrak has also implemented a special timetable for the Northeast Corridor for Nov. 23-29.

The Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail service is canceling some trains Wednesday afternoon and replacing them with earlier ones in anticipation of a shift in passenger traffic as workers depart for the Thanksgiving holiday.
On the Brunswick Line, Train 877, which normally departs Washington at 4:55 p.m., is canceled. An earlier train will leave Washington at 2:40 p.m., stopping at Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Point of Rocks, Brunswick and all West Virginia stops.

The Maryland State Highway Administration has temporarily closed two right lanes of the Capital Beltway's outer loop at the Forestville Road Bridge. An over-height vehicle struck a safety shield underneath the bridge, and highway workers have to secure the damaged metal before reopening the Beltway lanes.

Three people have suffered minor injuries after a truck crashed into the back of a Metrobus.Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato says the accident happened around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday at Good Hope and Naylor roads in southeast Washington.Asato says three people complained...

Worried about airport pat-downs or just about getting to Grandma's in time for the big feast? Lon Anderson of AAA Mid-Atlantic was online Tuesday at 1 p.m. to discuss Thanksgiving travel. You can review the discussion here. Dr. Gridlock was...

Delta Air Lines says it will consider refunds in rare case-by-case scenarios for passengers who cancel travel plans because of new airport security measures.
Some passengers have complained loudly about the Transportation Security Administration's new screening procedures, which can include intimate pat-downs of passengers who bypass scanners that produce a virtually naked image of the body.

7:50 p.m. Update: Metro says the delays have been cleared. 7:35 p.m. Update: Metro says the situation has been resolved but delays continue. Original post: Metro says trains are single-tracking between Federal Center and Smithsonian stations due to a sick...

n unidentified person was found dead in a Northwest Washington rowhouse Monday as firefighters worked to extinguish a blaze on the upper floor.
A passerby called for help about 3:30 p.m. after seeing smoke coming from windows on the top floor of the three-story dwelling in the 3600 block of 16th Street NW, D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said.
The dead person, apparently an adult, was found in a third-floor room, Piringer said. He said the victim's identity had not been confirmed as of late afternoon.
Piringer said 16th Street in the area of the fire probably will remain closed through the evening rush hour as cleanup continues and authorities investigate the cause of the blaze.

U.S. fighter jets intercepted a small plane flown by a student pilot after it crossed into restricted airspace in the Washington area, military and aviation officials said Monday. The two F-16 fighters launched by the North American Aerospace Defense Command...

What do Thanksgiving travelers fear the most: An airport pat-down, or Delaware?
If we did a poll, I think Delaware would win in a landslide. The pat-down is over faster. Driving through the I-95 toll plaza in Delaware this week could take hours. We've talked a lot about the impending congestion and avoidance techniques. Here's a summary of what we know now, but we'll post any developments as the big travel week continues.

With all of the discussion about the new body-scanning technology and pat-downs, we've assembled some advice and information from the Transportation Security Administration. If you have additional suggestions or observations, post a comment below. -- TSA's new screening techniques...

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged people flying with children for the Thanksgiving holiday to secure the children in safety seats.
The news was posted to LaHood's Fast Lane blog Monday morning as a recommendation from the Federal Aviation Administration.
"Aboard the plane, the safest place for your child is in a child safety seat or device based on your child's weight--not in your lap," the post said.

MARC Brunswick Line Train 873, which departs Washington at 3:35 pm., will be one car short today, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. The Brunswick Line carries an average 7,600 passengers daily between Washington and points north and west, including...

Bike lanes have been expanding in cities across the continent, the New York Times notes today, and controversy has exploded along with them. As commuting patterns change and the transit infrastructure with them, some inevitably feel that what's good for bikers can be bad for them.

A 33-year-old Gaithersburg man who was fatally injured Sunday after he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding in upper Montgomery County was a conductor for Virginia Railway Express, according to rail officials. Larry Daniel Talley worked for Keolis...

11:55 a.m. Update: Traffic reporting services say the fire is out 11:05 a.m. Update: There is a brush fire on the outer loop of the Beltway under the I-95 overpass in College Park, according to Prince George's County Fire and...

We are gathering all of our Thanksgiving travel information in one spot: on the Transportation home page. Have questions about Metro service, or curious about the best routes out of town? It's all there. If you have additional questions or...

The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement this morning about a video being circulated on the Internet that shows a young boy receiving a pat-down at Salt Lake City International Airport.
The TSA has been embroiled in controversy since installation of the new scanners began last month. TSA Administrator John S. Pistole defended them in the face of questions from two Senate committees last week and and made the rounds of news shows Sunday and Monday morning.
A California man became an instant folk hero among the protestors when a recording he made at airport security in San Diego went viral on the Internet. In the video he threatens a TSA agent with arrest if "you touch my junk" during a pat-down. A passenger was arrested in Indianapolis after he punched a TSA agent who didn't respond to his questioning about security procedures.

With one of the year's busiest traveling days fast approaching, the Obama administration's top transportation security official on Monday urged passengers angry over safety procedures not to boycott airport body scans.
John Pistole said in nationally broadcast interviews he understands public concerns about privacy in the wake of the Transportation Security Administration's tough new airline boarding security checks.

Travelers departing for their Thanksgiving holidays at midweek are likely to encounter some bad weather, the Capital Weather Gang says. The highway departments should have pulled up their orange barrels by Wednesday afternoon, but that still leaves the concrete barriers and the lane shifts.
Many others will stick around the D.C. area and start their holiday shopping at local malls on Friday. So today, we'll concentrate the look ahead on the long distance and local travel obstacles connected to the holiday. We'll have much more on this as the week evolves.

3:55 p.m., 11.21 Update: The airports authority say the repairs to the bridge were completed earlier today. Beulah Road and the Dulles Toll Road lanes have reopened. Original post: The two right lanes of the Dulles Toll Road eastbound will...